Ingredients
- 1 Maple Leaf Farms Duck Leg and Thigh
- 2 Tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Shallot, minced
- 1 Butternut Squash Neck, cut into 1/8" rounds (16 pc)
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 2 1/4 cups Whole Milk, scalded
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 cup Manchego Cheese, grated, divided
- Salt and White Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Fresh Spinach, finely chopped
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 cup Duck Confit Meat (from leg/thigh), finely diced
- 1 tsp Shallot, minced
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced
- 6 Baby Portobello Mushrooms, finely diced
- Fresh Thyme
Direction
Duck Legs:
- Prepare the duck leg by rubbing in salt, pepper and shallot.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours. Note: While curing duck, you may prepare the butternut rounds, Bechamel and Spinach/Ricotta mixture.
- After curing duck for 24 hours, place duck and 1/2 cup duck fat in a pan.
- Place in preheated oven (275 degrees F). Allow duck to cook until tender or falling off bone, approximately 4 hours.
- Pull duck from fat; allow to rest for 20 minutes. Pull meat from bone and dice finely.
Butternut Squash Rounds:
- Using a long-necked butternut squash, cut off neck and peel. Set remainder aside for another use.
- Carefully use a mandoline or knife to cut 1/8" slices of the neck.
- Wrap in plastic and store in refrigerator.
Bechamel Sauce:
- In sauce pan, heat duck fat; whisk in flour.
- Cook the roux for 5 minutes, and then add scalded milk.
- Whisk briskly, ensuring there are no lumps.
- Grate nutmeg into sauce.
- Add salt and white pepper to taste.
- Simmer for 20 minutes; stirring frequently.
- Add 3/4 cup manchego, reserving the rest for later.
- Remove from heat after ingredients are well-incorporated.
- Cool and refrigerate.
Spinach/Ricotta Mixture:
- Finely chop spinach.
- Fold into ricotta.
- Store in refrigerator.
Duck Confit and Mushroom Mixture:
- On medium heat, sauté shallot, garlic, duck confit and mushrooms.
- After all ingredients are added, lower heat and sauté for 10-15 minutes.
- Pull off heat and allow to cool slightly. *Keep all the ingredients cool or room temperature. Pull from refrigerator and begin to assemble lasagnas.
Lasagna Assembly:
- Place four butternut rounds down on nonstick baking sheet.
- Using a small spatula, spread the cool Bechamel on the rounds.
- Spoon a small amount of Spinach/Ricotta mixture on top of the Bechamel.
- Spoon a small amount of Duck/Mushroom mixture on the Spinach/Ricotta mixture.
- Repeat with the butternut rounds, Spinach/Ricotta and Duck/Mushroom, for four layers.
- On the top layer, spread a thin layer of Bechamel.
- Using a skewer, pierce the mini-lasagnas in the middle to keep the layers in place.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Make sure the rounds are cooked and the top layer is golden brown.
- During the last 5 minutes of baking, remove skewers and top with remaining manchego.
Plating:
- Allow lasagnas to cool for 20 minutes to preserve structure.
- Garnish with a thyme sprig and thyme leaves.